Hot Topics:

Bulldawgs look to slow down Eagles, get one step closer to state glory

By Teddy Feinberg/tfeinberg@lcsun-news.com

Posted:
11/30/2012 06:38:57 PM MST

LAS CRUCES - Last week Las Cruces High prepared for a run-based football team, while this week there will be a complete shift in mentality.

That's because today the Bulldawgs take the field against the Eldorado Eagles in the State Football Championships semifinals round in Albuquerque.

A week after facing a Clovis Wildcats team that was a run-first outfit, LCHS will now play an Eagles squad that will get into four and five wide-receiver sets and could throw the football over 40 times.

"Total opposite," LCHS head coach Jim Miller said of the differing opponents and their respective gameplans. "The good thing about it is we've done it throughout the year. It's not like we've played all run teams and now all of a sudden we're getting a throwing team. Artesia was a throwing team, Rio Rancho is a throwing team."

Last week, despite being a run-oriented club, the Wildcats aired it out on the Bulldawgs and threw for five passing touchdowns. Miller and Las Cruces High downplayed the effort, stating they took away the ground attack and forced the Wildcats out of their comfort zone - and, in turn, forced them to pass. Such a sentiment could very well be true, as the Bulldawgs had a 70-40 win to show for it by night's end.

"Everybody's going to see something wrong with the team. That goes without saying," Miller said following the game. "We were staying man, we were going to stack the box. If they're going to beat us, how many times did they throw the ball? They're doing something they're not used to doing.

Advertisement

We won that battle. If they're going to throw the ball 20-something times, they don't do that. They're going to get some plays on us. They're going to get some touchdown passes. But hey, (Clovis running back Kamall Cass is) not breaking six yards, seven yards."

Still, the No. 2-ranked Bulldawgs - while clearly a state-championship caliber team across the board and perhaps the prohibitive favorite in that regard - have had moments of struggle defending the to pass.

Miller referenced Rio Rancho, a team that knocked LCHS out of the playoffs last year at the Field of Dreams and also beat the Bulldawgs 42-21 in an early-season game this past September. The Rams, the No. 1-ranked team in the state entering this year's playoffs, were knocked off last weekend by No. 9 Volcano Vista.

Again, Clovis threw the ball with success a week ago on the LCHS secondary.

And then there's a story of the Bulldawgs playing well against such competition, during a 54-27 win at Class 4A Artesia in early October. It was there that Las Cruces High shut down Artesia's running game, was able to pressure the quarterback and, in turn, contained the wide receivers.

"It's been in the back of my mind," LCHS middle linebacker Sam Denmark said when asked about such a performance. "If we can stop an elite passing team like Artesia, we can do it any other game. It just depends how prepared we are and I feel like we are."

Offensively the Bulldawgs looked like a team that simply couldn't be stopped last weekend against Clovis - over 700 yards total, a dominant performance from the offensive line, a rolling running game and an on-point passing attack with quarterback Jonathan Joy and a number of weapons at receiver.

"Execution. Doing our part. We got it rolling," Joy said. "Offense is clicking, just gotta keep it going through this coming weekend."

On paper the Bulldawgs remain the prohibitive favorites over an Eldorado club ranked No. 11, although presenting itself perhaps as a team of destiny. Round 1 of the state playoffs saw the Eagles beat No. 6-seed Cleveland 28-26 and last weekend they upset No. 3 La Cueva 21-7.

Miller said going on the road to Albuquerque presents little concern for his team.

"I don't think it'll give us a problem at all to tell you the truth," Miller said. "Our mindset is, and it's been this way: Being on the road may be even better. The magnitude of this game, we've got 25 seniors and those guys have been there. Just reiterating and reiterating, we're not worried about it. We've already emphasized that. We have a plan when we go up there."

If they execute such a plan, the Bulldawgs should be one step closer to state glory.

Teddy Feinberg can be reached at (575) 541-5455. Follow him on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg